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Discovery of seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite

Author

Listed:
  • Masaaki Miyahara

    (Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University)

  • Shohei Kaneko

    (Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University)

  • Eiji Ohtani

    (Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University)

  • Takeshi Sakai

    (Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University
    Geodynamics Research Center, Ehime University)

  • Toshiro Nagase

    (Center for Academic Resources and Archives, Tohoku University)

  • Masahiro Kayama

    (Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University)

  • Hirotsugu Nishido

    (Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Okayama University of Science)

  • Naohisa Hirao

    (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute)

Abstract

Many craters and thick regoliths of the moon imply that it has experienced heavy meteorite bombardments. Although the existence of a high-pressure polymorph is a stark evidence for a dynamic event, few high-pressure polymorphs are found in a lunar sample. α-PbO2-type silica (seifertite) is an ultrahigh-pressure polymorph of silica, and is found only in a heavily shocked Martian meteorite. Here we show evidence for seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite, Northwest Africa 4734. Cristobalite transforms to seifertite by high-pressure and -temperature condition induced by a dynamic event. Considering radio-isotopic ages determined previously, the dynamic event formed seifertite on the moon, accompanying the complete resetting of radio-isotopic ages, is ~2.7 Ga ago. Our finding allows us to infer that such intense planetary collisions occurred on the moon until at least ~2.7 Ga ago.

Suggested Citation

  • Masaaki Miyahara & Shohei Kaneko & Eiji Ohtani & Takeshi Sakai & Toshiro Nagase & Masahiro Kayama & Hirotsugu Nishido & Naohisa Hirao, 2013. "Discovery of seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2733
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2733
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